Strained Trust
by Kitcat108
Summary: Reader/Ichigo. You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Strained Trust

**Pairings: **You/Ichigo...eventually.

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Summary: ** You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story that I'm willing to let other people read.

**Warnings: **Some swearing, and some violence in later chapters.

I hope my story entertains you!

**Chapter 1**

Beep… beep… beep….

You groan and shift in your sleep, pulling the covers of your bed over your head.

Beep beep… beep beep… beep beep….

You hiss and burrow your head farther into the covers in an attempt to block out that dreaded beeping.

Beep beep beep… beep beep beep… beep beep beep….

Snarling, you fling off the covers and slam your hand down on the alarm clock, trying to beat it into silence. It didn't work. And now your hand hurt. Signing, you push the button on the clock, successfully stopping the current bane of your existence. You stand and stretch, wincing as both of your shoulders pop painfully. Walking over to your closet, you pull out your school uniform. '_Damn Japanese schools and their need for uniforms!'_ You think as you get dressed. You go about your daily routine, washing your face, combing your hair and pulling it into a high ponytail, brushing your teeth, etc. When you were finished, a quick glance at the clock caused you pump your fist and let out a shout of joy.

"I have time for Breakfast!" You rushed to your kitchen and quickly fixed yourself a bowl of cereal. Breakfast was a rare delight for you, only because you were too lazy to get up earlier every morning in order to have it though. The doorbell rang and you glanced at the clock in surprise. He was early! Forgetting that you have your spoon in your mouth, you rush to the door. '_Honestly!' _You huff as the doorbell continued to ring. '_Why does he insist on ringing the freaking bell continuously until I get there?!' _You swing the door open and glare at the ringer.

"Yo! You're actually up." Ichigo looks away from the doorbell to grin at you, before he quirks an eyebrow at you. "Breakfast?" He asks, looking pointedly at the spoon still hanging from your mouth.

"Yup!" You cheer, returning to your kitchen with Ichigo following behind you. "You're going to break my doorbell one of these days. Ringing it once works!"

"It's to wake you up in case you're still sleeping." He was smirking now, jerk.

"That only happened once, Damngit! (And no, that isn't a typo. I just use that in place of Dammit…long story.)" You turn around to glare at him. '_Must be bring that __**every**__ freaking Monday?!' _He just stared at you. "Alright, fine! More than once!" You go back to your cereal and down it. You rinse off your dishes in the sink and stick them in the half-full dishwasher, then start up the dishwasher. You let out a small gasp and wince at the sudden twinge of pain in your upper stomach area that came every once in awhile for no reason. You sigh, rubbing it as the pain faded.

"Is your stomach still doing that?" Ichigo asks, concern in his voice. It worried him a little, seeing as how the pains started nearly five years ago, a year after you and he had become friends.

"Yea, well it's gone. It's time to head on to school!" You put on a cheerful façade. It had started happening more often now, several times a day. You weren't about to let Ichigo know though, he'd just worry a lot and force you to go see his dad. You slipped on your shoes while grabbing your school bag and made your way over to the front door, where Ichigo was already waiting.

"Ah, almost forgot! Hold on a sec" He reached into his school bag and pulled out a bento wrapped in a blue hand towel. "Yuzu made this for you." You squeal and grab it, spinning around in a circle.

"Ichi, I freaking love your sister! I'd starve to death without her." You say as you stick the bento in your bag. "Remember to thank your sister for me, and tell her that I'm her loyal servant for eternity."

"You're an idiot." He starts to walk away, in the direction of the school.

"Hey, you have your idiotic moments too!" You grin wickedly. "Like that time when you screamed like a girl when your dad ambushed you in the shower 'cause Karin called him an idiot." You watched in satisfaction as his face turned a bright shade of red. Ducking the cuff, that you knew was coming, you ran ahead.

"Get back here!" He yells, running after you. You glance behind you and stick your tongue out at him. Kurosaki Ichigo was your best friend, and has been since the 3rd grade, when you were dumped In Japan by your parents. You haven't seen them since then, either. Well, they were never really there from the beginning anyway. It was around the time his mom had died too, so you were both mourning the loss of your parent/s. He more so than you. That was what kind of drew you together, funny, no? By now Ichigo had caught up to you, since you had started walking again, and continued to walk beside you. Before you knew it, the double doors leading into the school towered over you. Your eye twitched.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Strained Trust

**Pairings: **You/Ichigo...eventually.

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Summary: ** You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story that I'm willing to let other people read.

**Warnings: **Some swearing, and some violence in later chapters.

And yea...I didn't notice how short these chapters really were when i split them up. Sorry XD

**Chapter 2**

"Come on, we're going to be late." Ichigo grabs your arm and pulls you into the school.

"We have plenty of time!" You complain, "Can't we wait a **few** minutes before the soul sucking begins??"

"No." He continues to drag you to the classroom. You enter after him, yawning.

"(drawn out name)!!" You blink and stare as Keigo runs toward you, arms outstretched to glomp you. You side-step and hold out your foot, watching in amusement as he does a face plant into the floor. He jumps up and turns to Ichigo with tears falling from his eyes in streams. "Ichigooo-o!! (na)--," He's cut off as Ichigo's foot slams into his face.

"Idiot." Keigo jumps up and tries again.

"Ichigoo-o! How cou—," And he was cut off as Ichigo face-stomped him again. This time he just lays there, tears still streaming from his eyes.

"You know, I actually feel kind of sorry for him." You tell Mizuiro as he comes up to stand beside you.

"He'll get over it. See?" Keigo was now off of the ground and talking animatedly to Ichigo about…something. You couldn't make out what he was saying.

 "Hello (name)-san! Good morning!" You turn around to see Orihime and Tatsuki coming up to you.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Tatsuki smirks at you.

"Did you finish the math homework?" You stick your tongue out at her.

"Yes, I did! Pages 250 – 252!" You say proudly. You feel something hit the top of your head and stay there.

"Idiot. It was pages 260 _**and** _262." Ichigo states. You slap his school bag away from your head.

"No way! Don't tell me I did all of that work for nothing!" You rush over to where the teacher was sorting papers at his desk, finding out that Ichigo was right. You groan and make your way back over to your friends.

"Well?" Ichigo asks with a smug grin on his face.

"Shut up." You drop your head onto Orihime's shoulder. She pats your head.

"Don't worry, you can just do it tonight and hand it in tomorrow! Now lets get to our seats, class is about to start."

"Is not," You mumble into her shoulder. The first bell hasn't even rung yet! The school bell rang.

"That was the second bell." Ichigo tells you as he pushes you toward you seat, which was right in front of his.

"Eh? Wait! What happened to the first one?!"

"It rang while you were freaking out over your math homework." You sit down and drop your head onto the desk with a groan. School had just barely started and your head already hurt.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Strained Trust

**Pairings: **You/Ichigo...eventually.

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Summary: ** You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story that I'm willing to let other people read.

**Warnings: **Some swearing, and some violence in later chapters.

Alright, one more short chapter that I'll add on later, and then I'll try and make the chapters longer.

**Chapter 3**

Seven hours, and a migraine, later, the bell to dismiss school rang. You pack up your stuff and jump out of your seat happily, only to double over with a shout as a burning pain shot through your upper stomach. You fell to your knees with a groan, one hand gripping the top of you desk for support while the other clutched at your stomach. Instantly Ichigo was by your side, a hand on your back.

"(name)! What's wrong?!" There were shouts all around you.

"I-I'm fine." You managed to gasp out, find it extremely hard to breath.

"The hell you are!" Ichigo lifts you up, bridal style. "I'm taking her to the infirmary!" He yells over his should at the worried teacher, already out the classroom door. The pain was ebbing and you found that you could breathe again. Forcing your brain to take in your surroundings, you were surprised to find yourself being carried by Ichigo, who was practically running down the hall. '_When did that happen?' _Noticing the concerned murmurs from the students in the hall, you hide your face against Ichigo's shirt. '_God, this is embarrassing.' _The pain was only half as bad as before by the time Ichigo pushed through the Infirmary door and set you down on one of the beds. The room was empty. '_The Infirmary people in this school fail. Meh, makes it easier on me, though.' _You sigh and close your eyes, hearing the tell-tail scrape of a chair as Ichigo pulls one up to the side of the bed. After a few minutes of deep breathing, you sit up, groaning. Ichigo places a hand on your shoulder, concern evident in his eyes.

"(name), are you sure you feel well enough to move?" You give him a, supposed to be, reassuring smile.

"I'm fine!" To prove it you swing your legs off the bed and stand up, stretching and managing to only wince a little. Ichigo didn't look convinced.

"You should rest a bit more."

"No way! Let's go home! I'm hungry!" In truth the thought of eating made you feel ill. Ichigo gave you a look. '_Damn, so much for fooling him.'_ "Alright, fine. I want to go lay down, at _**home**_!" He gave you another look, this one saying that he didn't like it, but he was going to let you have your way. Yay. He sighed and stood up.

"Fine." He went over to the door.

"Thanks, Ichi!!" You followed behind him, and got ambushed by Orihime as soon as you stepped out of the room.

"(name)-san! Are you alright now??" She stuck her hand on your forehead.

"I'm fine!" You complain, pulling her hand away from your face. You see Sado behind her and grin at him. He comes up beside Orihime and places on of his hands on the top of your head, looking down at you with worry in his eyes.

"I said I'm fine Damngit!" You glare at them.

"Hey, you can't blame them for worrying." Ichigo interjected.

"Sure I can," You mutter, crossing your arms and pouting. He rolled his eyes.

"Here." Sado held out Ichigo and your's school bags.

"Ah, forgot about those. Thanks, Chad." Ichigo took both of the bags.

"Yea, thanks!" You beamed at Sado.

"Well we'd better head home!" You let Ichigo push you in the right direction. "Bye Orihime, Chad."

"Cya tomorrow, guys!" You call, waving behind you.

"No you won't, you'll be at home in bed." Ichigo glares at you.

"Eh?" You ask, and then get what he was implying. "What? No! I'm going to school tomorrow!" You yell.

"No, you're not."

"Says who?!"

"Says me."

"Well who cares what you say?!" The argument continued until you were out of Orihime and Sado's hearing.

"They're so cute!" Orihime squealed. Sado just shook his head and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Strained Trust

**Pairings: **You/Ichigo...eventually.

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Summary: ** You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story that I'm willing to let other people read.

**Warnings: **Swearing, and some violence in later chapters.

Yay! Another chapter is up! This one's short too...but I promise that the next one will be longer.

**Chapter 4**

The argument lasted for about five minutes and ended with a "We'll see," from Ichigo. After awhile of silence you came to the spot where you and Ichigo usually went your separate ways home. It was a three minute walk to your house from here. You look up to see Ichigo's contemplating face and roll your eyes.

"I can stand three minutes of walking by myself, you know. I'm not going to collapse before I get there." You huff. He was still thinking about it.

"It could happen."

"You're family's expecting you, idiot. Yuzu will be mad if you're late for dinner again!" He grimaced at that.

"You should come. You can join us for dinner and Dad could give you a check up."

"I'm fine, Ichi! I want to give it some time and see if it lets up. If it doesn't I promise I'll go see a doctor, okay?" You give him a small push in the direction he needs to go. He frowned.

"As long as you keep that promise."

"Of course!" You and Ichigo split up. '_Stubborn idiot,' _You think, with affection. About two and a half minutes later a slight burning filled your stomach. You had enough time to think '_Oh shit,' _before the pain hit you, more intense than before. Shrieking you fell to your knees and clutched your stomach, leaning over until your forehead touched the ground.

Tears forced themselves past your tightly shut eyes. You stay in that position for several minutes, until you feel like you could move again. '_Damngit, Ichigo was right.' _Meh, what he doesn't know won't hurt him. You force yourself to stand; home was only a little ways ahead. You had to stop and rest a few times, but you eventually made it home. '_Maybe I __**will**__ stay home tomorrow.' _You think as you flop onto your couch. The pain had died down to a dull throb. You pull your shirt from your skirt and slid your hand up your shirt, rubbing your upper stomach. '_Gah stomach, why must you hate me so-- What the hell?!" _An area of your stomach felt colder than the skin around it. You jump up and run to the full length mirror in your bathroom, throwing off your shirt on the way. You gasp as you stare at your stomach in the mirror. Right in the middle of your stomach, 4 or 5 inches above your navel, was a dark circle.

It was kind of a Dark ash color, and was about as big as your open hand. You scratched the circle, felt like you were scratching your skin. '_How strange…I've never seen anything like this! And I know this wasn't there last night!' _It felt like your normal skin, only a different color and it felt like an icepack was constantly pressed against it. You turn around and look over your shoulder. There was an identical dark spot in the same place on your back. '_That's so freaking weird! Must have something to do with those stomach aches.' _Actually, now that you thought about it, you feel perfectly fine. '_Huh, I guess I'll just show this to Ichigo tomorrow. Either before school or after it when he comes to see me.' _With that in mind you calmed down, and went about your day. You spent a few hours doing today and yesterday's homework, had dinner, and watched TV until you decided it was time to go to bed. Your stomach hadn't given you any problems. After taking a shower, you crawl into your bed and get comfortable.

"I hope Ichigo has some clue as to what this thing is." You mumble into your pillow, before letting sleep claim you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Strained Trust

**Pairings: **You/Ichigo...eventually.

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Summary: ** You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story that I'm willing to let other people read.

**Warnings: **Swearing, and some violence in later chapters.

I was going to hold this chapter until I finished writing the 6th one...or at least started. But I was too proud of the fact that I wrote a long chapter and had to post it! I'm still contemplating on whether to continue with long chapters...which will take longer to write, or use short chapters so I'll be able to post faster. Ugh...decisions, decisions...

**Chapter 5**

You awake with a tired moan, sitting up drowsily. Shaking your head as if to shake off the remnants of sleep, you jump out of bed and stretch. After pulling some casual clothes from your closet and going about your normal morning routine, your brain finally starts to work and you notice something missing. You race over to your alarm clock. '_Well this is new.' _You have nearly three full hours until your alarm clock is supposed to go off. '_I think this is a new record for me! Just wait until I tell Ichigo that I got up three hours earlier than I had to!!' _Feeling triumphant, you decide to treat yourself to a _real _breakfast. Complete with eggs, pancakes, toast…and waffles in place of bacon because you didn't have any. Sad, no?

About an hour later had you washing your dishes. '_I feel hella good. I may just go to school anyway!' _You smile happily…only to freeze a few seconds later. You make a mad dash to the bathroom, throwing off your shirt in the process. '_Holy shit! How the hell could I forget about…,' _You arrive at the mirror, '_about this freaking giant spot in the middle of my stomach!' _You run your hand over the dark spot, feeling the temperature difference. Frowning, you move closer to the mirror.

"Is it just me, or did the spot get darker?" Turning around, you stare at the spot on your back. '_Well there goes my happy mood.' _You think, sighing. Physically, you still felt fine, actually you felt awesome! You return to the kitchen and finish cleaning up, picking your shirt back up on the way. Now you were sitting on your couch, waiting for Ichigo. '_Hmm…I still haven't decided whether or not I should go to school or not. I could go and be bored while having my soul sucked out, or I could stay home and just be bored. If I go I could talk to my friends and turn my homework in. I feel great, but I also have this weird spot on my stomach and back. Decisions, decisions…decisions make my head hurt, damngit! Alright, I'm going to school!" _You walk to your room and change into your school uniform. You return to the couch. Now all you had to do was sit and wait for Ichigo to get here!

"Where the hell is he?!" You fume. You've been sitting on the couch and watching T.V for about an hour and a half. '_He should have been here by now!' _You wait for another few minutes. _'Forget this!' _You stand up. '_I'm going over there." _You pull on your shoes. '_What if he's still asleep?' _A wicked grin plasters itself across your face. '_I hope he is! I'd never let him forget it!' _You giggle to yourself as you grab your school bag. You walk out your front door and lock it, then proceed on your way to Ichigo's house.

About five minutes later you find yourself at the last corner that would bring Ichigo's house into view. You turn the corner and look at the house, surprised to find the whole family standing out in front of it, then you break into a run.

"Holy shit! What the hell happened?!" They all turn around to look at you. "Are any of you hurt?!" You gasp as you come to a stop in front of them.

"(name)-san," Yuzu said, surprised and somewhat dazed.

"What happened?!" You ask again, pointing at the huge freaking _**hole**_ in the side of their house…which was somewhat boarded up.

"It's pretty funny actually, a truck crashed into the house! Amazingly enough no one was injured! Not even a scratch!" Isshin exclaims, throwing out his arms to add to the drama.

"How the heck is that funny?!" You yell at him, then turn to Ichigo. You freeze for a second. '_What the hell? Being around Ichigo feels…different?' _You shake it off and continue with what you were about to say. "Seriously?? A _truck _ran into the house?!" He looks into your eyes, and then looks away, your own widen.

"Y-yea, crazy, isn't it?" He chuckles awkwardly. You stare at him, disbelieving. '_He lied…. About something as serious as this?!' _You look at the other three, who had gone back to staring at the hole. '_They really believe it. I'll let it slip, Ichi. I'll get my answers after school on the way home.' _

"Geez, that _is _crazy! Hey Ichi, does that mean you're skipping school today?" You ask, noticing that he wasn't wearing his uniform jacket or shoes.

"Huh? Ah crap! School!" You laugh openly as he races back inside, and you're still giggling when he runs back out while trying to pull on his jacket…which wasn't working because he was holding his school bag. You walk over to him and take the bag from him. "Ah, thanks, (name)." He pulls on his jacket and zips it up, then stops in his tracks. "(name)!" He turns to you and grabs your shoulders.

"Yo!" You give him a little wave.

"What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to stay at home today!" He shakes you a little.

"Well I was planning to last night! But when I woke up this morning I felt great! So I decided to go to school. I waited for you but you never came, so I came here instead!" He lets go of you and starts scratching the back of his head with one hand.

"Sorry about that, I was a little distracted because of the…," He averts eye contact again, "truck." You grin, he had almost told you. '_Getting him to spill what really happened after school will be easy!' _You sigh at him, he looks so…guilty. You whack him with his own bag.

"Don't worry! It's not like I expect you to remember _every _freaking time!" He looks at you and frowns. You roll your eyes and shove his school bag into his chest. "Come on! We're going to be late for school if we don't hurry!" You grab his wrist and pull him into a run, nearly making him drop his bag.

"H-hey! Wait! You're sick, dam-!" You cut him off.

"Bye guys!" You yell back to Yuzu, Karin, and Isshin. Yuzu and Karin wave, grinning.

"Goodbye, my manly son!!" Isshin yells. You giggle uncontrollably.

"Shut up." Ichigo grumbles.

"Aw, come on. "Manly sons" don't pout!" You tease.

"I'm not pouting! And I'm not a "manly son"!"

"Are you saying you're a "girly son"?" You ask, wondering if your lip will split from smiling so much.

"Pfwa?! What?! I am not a girly man!" He sputters.

"Sorry, you're a "feminine son"."

"I AM NOT!"

"But you said you weren't a "manly son"! And your pouting is _sooo _cute!" He just makes a disbelieving sound. You glance back at him and smile. '_Good, that annoying guilty look is gone. Geez, if he was going to get all guilty about it, he shouldn't have lied to me in the first place!' _You continue to needle Ichigo about being a "girly son" until you reach the school. You stop for a sec to glare at it before continuing through the door.

"What time is it?" You search around for a clock. Ichigo grabs a random student in the hall.

"Hey, what period is it?" The poor kid looked scared.

"Please?" You ask, looking over Ichigo's shoulder. He looks at you and most of the fear leaves his face.

"T-third's about to start." He gives you a small smile.

"Thanks." "Alright, thanks!" The kid went on his way, stealing a few glances at you as he went. What he said sunk in and your eyes widened. You look over at Ichigo, whose eyes were also wide.

"Third period?!" You both yell in unison.

"Holy crap! I didn't think we were _that _late!" You shriek. Ichigo smirks, and then starts to laugh. "What's so funny about being late to school?" You ask, annoyed. He grins.

"I have an excuse for being late," His grin widens, "you don't." You stare at him for a second.

"Damngit! You jerk, this is your fault!" He laughs and walks away. You huff and follow him.

You reach the classroom and walk through the door, immediately spotting your group of friends. You and Ichigo walk up to them unnoticed. Tatsuki's voice rises and you're able to make out what she's saying.

"A truck?! Then is he injured?! Or dea--!" She's cut off as Ichigo's school bag makes contact with the back of her head.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no one was injured."

"Kurosaki–kun! (name)-kun!" Orihime exclaims happily. You wave from behind Ichigo. Ichigo moves to his seat and starts talking to Mizuiro, who sits behind him, about the house. You look to the side in surprise, seeing as a girl you didn't recognize was sitting in the seat next to him. She was staring at him. You frown. '_She has a strange feeling….' _You look on curiously as she turns to Ichigo.

"You're…are you Kurosaki–kun?" She asks. '_The teacher probably told her to get help from him.' _You assume. "Nice to meet you!" She says happily. You stare at Ichigo's face as Mizuiro explains who she is. '_He knows her.'_

"Kurosaki –kun, I don't have the textbooks yet, let me…may I…look at yours?" She asks, holding out her hand. '_Quick change in speech there, maybe she's more used to demanding than asking?' _You look back at Ichigo and raise and eyebrow at his expression, now it held a little fear in it, as well as disbelief. Just who was this girl? Something about her seemed…powerful? '_Yet another thing to ask Ichigo after school.' _You wince slightly as the pain in your stomach flares up a bit to a dull throb, and stays there. You focus back in to see…Kuchiki, was it?...still holding out her hand. Ichigo was just staring at it like it was going to bite him or something. You reach over and pike his face a few times.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" You ask. "Let her use your book already!" He smacks your hand away.

"Oh…yea." He starts going through his bag. You turn to Kuchiki and hold out your own hand.

"Hi! I'm (name)!" You smile. "It's nice to meet you, Kuchiki… -kun? –san? Ichi! Which one am I supposed to use?" Ichigo looks over at you.

"You don't know her, so you use "-san". Use "–kun" when she becomes your friend…or you can just not use any like you'll end up doing anyway." He rolls his eyes and hands Kuchiki the text book she asked for. You turn back to her and see open amusement in her eyes.

"What's you're first name? If you don't mind me asking?" She smiles at you.

"Rukia."

"It's nice to meet you, Rukia!" You offer your hand to her again. She takes it and shakes it, then her grip tightens. You look up to see surprise, contemplation …and confusion? in her eyes. She looks into your eyes, seeming to study you. You blink and look back at her in confusion. The pain in your stomach intensifies for a split-second, making you wince and shut your eyes tightly.

"(name)-kun? Are you okay?" You open your eyes to see concern on Rukia's face. Then you hear the desk behind you squeak and an "aw crap" expression extends across your face, making Rukia's concerned face change to a curious one. A strong hand grips your chin and forces you to look at Ichigo. He studies you, and then turns to Rukia.

"What happened?" He asks her. You roll your eyes.

"I was shaking her hand and suddenly she started wincing. Whatever it was, it looked like it really hurt." You glare at her. She gives you an apologetic smile. Ichigo forces you to look at him again.

"It was your stomach again, wasn't it? I knew you should have stayed home today!" You glare at him too.

"I'm fine, damngit! It was only for a second! Then it went away. I'm staying in school. Now leggo!!" "It" being the sudden intensity, the throb was still here…but he didn't need to know that. Annoying "girly son". He releases your chin and sits back from leaning over his desk.

"You should go home and rest." Your eye twitches.

"You'd have to forcibly drag me all the way home, and then keep me from coming back. Then Yuzu would get mad at you for missing school and, with a helpful hint, put something in your dinner to give you food poisoning or something!" He quirks an eyebrow at you.

"But then I wouldn't be able to go to school."

"Well then she'd stick in something that would only last a night."

"Idiot, something like that doesn't exist."

"How do you know that?!"

"I've never heard of anyone having food poisoning for only a night."

"But you don't know for sure! So it could happen!"

"You don't know that it really does exist either."

"Wha—Bu—IT COULD HAPPEN!!" Damn. You glare at Ichigo as a triumphant smile spreads across his face, then falls into a smug grin. '_Smug jerk.' _You imagine something big and hard that could fall on his head, but not kill him…like a pickle or something. You blink. '_A pickle? Where the hell did __**that**__ come from?!' _The image of a giant pickle falling on Ichigo's head floats around in your mind, making your laugh like a maniac.

"Why are you looking at me like that and what the hell is so funny, (name)?" Ichigo's voice brought you back to the present.

"Nothing much." –giggle—"Just," –gasp—"a giant pickle falling on your head!" You fall back into laughter. Everyone give you a "WTF?" face. Well, except for Orihime who starts laughing along with you. Ichigo just shakes his head.

"Idiot." You smile at him.

The day went on as normal. Ichigo and Rukia were still pretending that they had just met. Even though you knew Ichigo had recognized her, and was pretty sure that Rukia had known him beforehand too. But whatever, you played along. You'd just ask him about it later in private. Finally school was over! You visited your math teacher and turned in the work from the night before. After that you rushed to the school's main doors, Ichigo didn't like waiting. You push through the doors.

"Hey! Sorry for making your wait I…chi? Ichi?" You look around in surprise, Ichigo wasn't there. '_Did I actually get here before him?'_ You wait for a few minutes, starting to get worried. The doors quick again and you look up to see Keigo. You rush up to him.

"Hey Keigo! Do you know where Ichi is?" You ask him hopefully.

"Ichigo? He left with Rukia awhile ago. Lucky bastard!"

"Oh…thanks. He looks at you, surprised.

"He didn't tell you??" Now he was starting to look angry. Crap.

"Ah crap! Duh! Yes he did!" You pull on a fake smile and laugh. "I can't believe I forgot! I suppose I'm just too used to walking with Ichi. I'd better head on home. Cya later!" You wave and run off. Keigo stares after you for a few seconds before shrugging and waving. After a few minutes, you slow to a walk, then stop. Your chest hurt. '_He just left me there and ran off with Rukia? Without telling me?' _You stand there for a few seconds, then clench your teeth and smack yourself in the face. '_What the hell is wrong with you?! Just listen to yourself! Wallowing in self pity like that. So what if Ichigo's out with Rukia? It's about time he got himself a girlfriend. Sure he could have told you he was leaving with her, but it's not like he told you he was going to walk with you today either! You're being pathetic!' _With that you raise your gaze from the ground and walk home, alone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **Strained Trust

**Pairings: **You/Ichigo...eventually.

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Summary: ** You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story that I'm willing to let other people read.

**Warnings: **Swearing, and some violence in later chapters.

It took me forever to find a way to begin this chapter...and then I waited too long to start writing and forgot it. So I kind of just stuck some stuff there. After I finished writing chapter 6 i had to split it 'cause I thought it was too long. So instead of one chapter i got 2 chapters done! Here's the first one, I'll post the second one hopefully after i finish writing the 8th chapter. Oh and and something I never made clear! This story is based on "You" being a girl, though if you want "You" can be a guy, it just won't make as much sense. Thanks for reminding me, Zero!

**Chapter 6**

About a week has gone by since Rukia transferred into your class. These days the only time you see Ichigo is before and during school. Most the time he still comes to get you in the mornings, but he always leaves with Rukia. Your usual weekend movie nights have been canceled as well! You sigh into you arms. It was the last period of the school day. Currently, you had your head resting on your desk with your arms wrapped around it. The bell rang. Lifting your head, you pack up and look around, catching a glance of an orange head at it moves out of the classroom. You let out another sigh and stand up.

"(name)-kun!" You look to the side to see Orihime beaming at you.

"Hey Orihime, what's up?" You turn toward her.

"Umm…well…why don't you leave with Kurosaki-kun anymore?" She asks.

"Uh, he's just busy after school these days!"

"Oh, really?" She looks sad. "That's too bad…Oh! I know! Why don't you eat dinner over at my house tonight?!" She smiles at you excitedly.

"S-sure," You stutter, surprised by the sudden invitation. "On one condition." You say, holding up a finger.

"Hm?" She looks at you expectantly.

"I do the cooking." Sure you love and trust the girl…but frankly, her cooking terrifies you.

"But you're the guest." She frowns.

"It can be my way of repaying you for your hospitality." You smile at her.

"We could make it into a sleepover! We could watch movies and tell stories and stay up all night!" She says animatedly, while waving her arms around. You laugh.

"Sounds like fun! How about we go home and change, I'll bring some extra clothes, pajamas, and maybe a game and we'll meet up right outside of the general store?" You offer.

"Sure! Let's go!" You walk together out of the school then split up, promising to meet up soon.

You practically skip on your way home, your Ichigo problems forgotten. A sudden shiver runs up your spine, making you gasp and stop in your tracks. You do a quick 180, scanning the area around you. '_What the hell? I have a bad feeling…oh well, I'm not going to let that ruin my night!' _You hurt home. A short while later, you reach your house. You pass through the front door and make your way to your room. After changing into some casual clothes, you stick a clean school uniform into an old messenger bag of yours. '_Hmm…next are pajamas…but I don't wear pajamas!' _You always just sleep in your underwear. **(Bra and panties. Just in case you were wondering. XD)** '_Meh, I bet Orihime won't care.'_

"Now, games!" You run over to your closet and search through it, but find no games. '_Huh, I could have sworn I had…oh wait...that was Ichigo's. Crap! They were all Ichigo's!' _You pull on your messenger bag and decide to head on to the general store, stopping to stick your wallet into your bag on the way.

A fifteen minute walk later, you see Orihime waiting at the designated spot. You quickly make your way over to her.

"Hey, Orihime!" You call, arriving in front of her.

"(name)-kun! Let's go buy stuff for dinner, and then head over to my house." Before you can reply, she's already in the store. Laughing, you follow her. You buy the stuff to make curry **(One of my personal favorites.)**, and she buys…some really weird stuff.

"You're going to make a meal for yourself out of…onions, butter, bananas, and gelatin?" You ask while leaving the store.

"Yup! It'll be good!" You don't bother asking her what she was planning to make…just thinking about it made you shudder. A couple of minutes of walking later. Orihime starts to sing a strange version of "Do Re Mi". You laugh and follow along as best as you can. Then you stop.

"Hey Orihime, keep on without me for a bit. I'm going to go back to the shop and get some sodas for tonight."

"Okay! Good idea!" She continues on.

"I'll catch up!" You start running back the way you came. '_Damn, running is kind of hard while carrying all of this stuff.' _You reach the store and buy a few sodas, then start running to catch up with Orihime. '_And now running is even harder.' _You hear the screech of tires and run faster, feeling worried. You come up to an intersection, and find Orihime on the ground, half on the sidewalk and half in the street.

"Orihime!!" You shriek, running to her side. She starts to sit up a few seconds before you reach her. "Hey! Don't move too much. We don't know how injured you are!" Your eyes come to rest on her left arm, which was red and dripping with blood. Continuing your scan, your eyes widened. There was a _huge _bruise on her leg, nearly taking up her entire shin. There was something strange about it; the bruise almost…drew you toward it? You reach a hand out to it. '_What's this feeling? Sadness maybe? Yeah….' _The closer your hand got to it, the more intense the feeling became. You touched it, then pulled your hand back in a split-second. '_Holy crap! I barely touched it, and now I feel like crying?' _You stare at the bruise some more. '_Hey…that color kind of looks like…' _You unconsciously move your hand to your stomach.

"I-I'm alright." Orihime's voice attracts your attention.

"That bruise looks pretty bad. Do you think you can stand?" You ask, worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine" You carefully pull her up by her uninjured arm. She stands up steadily enough.

"Let's get back to the store and get some bandages for your arm."

"'K," She walks with only a slight limp, but you still hold onto her right arm. By the time you made it back to the store, Orihime was walking with no trace of a limp. You push through the door and walk over to the front desk, where a middle-aged man was working as the cashier.

"Excuse me," You call over to him, "could you tell us where the bandages are?" He turns to you and catches sight of Orihime.

"Oh!" He gasps, "Please, come over this way." You and Orihime follow him behind the register counter. He pulled out a first aid kit from under the counter. Apparently he had some knowledge in the medical field, for he patched Orihime up quickly and neatly.

"Just what caused this?" He asks, "That was a pretty nasty wound." You open your mouth to explain, then frown, and then smack yourself in the face.

"Oh geez! I was so worried that I forgot to ask!" You turn to Orihime. "What happened?!" She gives you an embarrassed grin.

"I was hit!" You stare at her blankly. "By a car!" The Cashier gasps and covers his mouth with one hand.

"Wha-what?! And the driver just drove off?!" You gasp.

"Yup!" You sweat drop.

"Why do you sound so happy about it…?"

"Hm?"

"Never mind, we should get going." You thank the Cashier and offer to pay for the bandages and medicine. He refuses and sends you on your way.

"Hey Orihime, are you sure you don't want me to carry your bag?" You ask for the fifth time.

"Really, I can carry it, (name)-kun. I'm fine!" She giggles.

"But getting hit by a care is a seri—"

"Hey look! It's Kurosaki-kun!" She exclaims, pointing down in the direction of the town park.

"What? Really?" You ask, coming up beside her. You look down into the park and, sure enough, there was the carrot head sitting at one of the benches with…Rukia? '_Idiot, why are you so surprised?' _You watch as Orihime walks up behind Ichigo and scares the crap out of him. '_Wha? …When'd she get over there?!" _You hurry to the stairs leading down into the park.

"Hey! Orihime! You need to be more careful, you just got hit by a car, damngit!" You yell as you reach the bottom of the stars.

"Ah, (name), you're here too?" He grins at you. Then his face freezes and he swings his head around to look at Orihime. "Hi-hit?! By a car?!"

"Yeah," She says, looking slightly embarrassed. "(name)-kun and I were walking to my house after shopping and she went back to go get some sodas and told me to go on ahead, so I did and _**BAM!**_ I've been getting his a lot lately." She laughs.

"You shouldn't be laughing! That's a serious accident! You should be angrier!" Ichigo exclaims, crossing his arms.

"Exactly!" You interject.

"Well, it's not like they hit me on purpose…." Orihime trails off, looking between you and Ichigo nervously.

"You get hurt often, Inoue-san?" Asks Rukia.

"More than often!" You say.

"It's almost everyday!" Comes from Ichigo.

"I zone out a lot, so…," Orihime trails off again, rubbing that back of her head with one hand.

"Then you shouldn't make it sound like it's unavoidable!" Both you and Ichigo yell at the same time. Orihime just smiles apologetically.

"That mark on your leg…," Your attention shifts to Rukia, "can I see it?"

"Oh? This?" Orihime hold out her leg a bit. "Sure, go ahead." You watch as Rukia kneels down and starts examining the bruise. "I got this when the car hit me too. -kun pointed it out." Rukia sends you a sharp glance, before returning to the bruise. '_My, what a serious face you have there.' _You think.

"Kuchiki-san?" Orihime leans over, "What's with the scary face?" She asks, her voice laced with worry.

"Huh?" Rukia asks, looking surprised. "Oh, no. I was just thinking…it looks painful…" You raise and eyebrow.

"Wow! You're right!" Orihime gasps, then holds out her left arm and points at it with her right hand. "My leg hurts much more than my arm!"

"What? Why didn't you say so earlier?!" You exclaim.

"Ah?! Have you gone numb from the pain?! Go to a doctor. Doctor!" Came from Ichigo.

"Huh? …um…" A dark blush appears on Orihime's face.

"…Why does that make you blush?" Ichigo asks, confused. You start laughing, which brings Ichigo's attention back to you. "What are you two up to, anyway?" You look over at Orihime and you both grin.

"Sleepover!!" You both yell together.

"On a school night?"

"Heck yes!" You pump your fist. "And I'm cooking." He laughs. Orihime glances at her watch.

"Oh! It's this late! (name)-kun, we need to go!"

"In a rush?" Ichigo asks, while Orihime is already running back up the stairs.

"Yeah! Laugh hour is almost on!" Laughing, you follow her.

"Want me to walk you guys there?" He yells at you and Orihime. She spins around in surprise from the top of the stairs.

"Wha-what?! N-no, we're fine!" She stammers back at him.

"Alright! Cya tomorrow!"

"Huh? Umm…Yeah! Tomorrow!" She runs off. You shrug and continue to the top of the stairs.

"Cya later Ichi, Rukia!" You wave at them. They wave back and you chase after Orihime. You catch up with her and walk beside her.

"Thought you would have liked for Ichi to walk you home?" You ask. She blushes.

"W-well yeah, but he surprised me, so I refused…" You giggle at her.

"You were stammering so much, you had plenty of time to think about it!" You tease.

"H-hey!" She swings her bag of groceries at you. You dodge, laughing. She starts laughing with you. You both continue on your way to Orihime's house.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **Strained Trust

**Pairings: **You/Ichigo...eventually.

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach!

**Summary: ** You and Ichigo have been best friends for years. How do you deal with all of this Hollow stuff as it happens? And what's with these strange stomach aches that you've started having a year after becoming friends with Ichigo? My first story that I'm willing to let other people read.

**Warnings: **Swearing, and some violence in later chapters.

Yay, chapter 7!

**Chapter 7**

Awhile later you were at the front of Orihime's apartment.

"Come on, (name)-kun!" Orihime calls from up the stairs in front of you.

"Coming, coming," You reply, glaring at the stairs before climbing them.

"(name)-kun, what's taking so long?" Orihime was already at her front door.

"Stairs! That's what's taking so long!" You grumble, finally reaching her. "Have I ever told you that I hate stairs?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Well I hate stairs!" She just giggles at you while unlocking the door. She holds it open for you and you walk through it. "Thanks," You slip off your shoes and step into the main room.

"We're going to have so much fun tonight!" She cheers.

"I'm going to go stick this stuff in the kitchen." You take her bag as well and head into the kitchen.

"Hey Orihime! Hold on, don't close the door yet!" You hear. You drop the groceries on the counter and stick your head back into the main room.

"Tatsuki-chan, hello!" Orihime holds the door open again to admit Tatsuki.

"Hey, we had a lot of leftovers from dinner, so I figured I'd bring them over here and hang out." She was holding a large blow of what looked like some kind of stew.

"Hey Tats!" You walk into the room.

"(name), what are you doing here?" Tatsuki asks, surprised.

"We're going to have a sleepover!" Orihime answers for you.

"Fun fun, well, let's eat!" Tatsuki holds the food up.

"Okay! I'll go get the dishes!" Orihime rushes to the kitchen.

"I'll make the tea!" Tatsuki also runs into the kitchen.

"I'll…just stand here, I guess." You sigh. They just laugh at you. A little bit later and the three of you are sitting around Orihime's little table, with Orihime telling Tatsuki about this afternoon.

"Are you _**stupid?!**__" _Tatsuki yells.

"How rude, I'm not stupid…." Orihime complains.

"Yes, you are!! To waste a chance like that."

"Y-you think so?"

"Yup!" You were eating your food and watching the conversation with interest. "At times like that, you gotta just _**go **_for it!"

"Go…?"

"When he says "Should I walk you home?" of course you say "sure", then you use the pain in your leg as an excuse to lean on him. Then when he's walked you to a place 

where nobody is around…pull him into a dark place and…_**TAKE HIM DOWN!!**__"_ Orihime starts choking on her food. You burst out laughing.

"T-T-T-Tatsuki!-chan!!" Orihime looked like she was going to start hyperventilating. Your sides hurt from laughing so much.

"Don't worry! For you, just grab your breast and he'll be the aggressive one." Tatsuke winks. "Then it's all his fault." She finishes.

"N-no way!" You gasp, still laughing. "More like she'd traumatize him if she did that!"

"Oh right! (name) knows him the best! How do you think he would react if she did do that, though?" Tatsuki asks, looking over at you.

"He'd probably freak out and cover his face like this," You cover your eyes with your hands, "While leaving enough room for him to see between his fingers, of course!" You lift both of your pointer fingers, revealing your eyes. "And he'd be yelling at her to cut it out." You start laughing again as Tatsuki breaks down into hysterics.

"You're right! I can totally imagine that!" A sly expression comes over her face. "How would you know something like that, anyway?" She asks, meaning it as a joke.

"From experience!" You grin wickedly.

"Eh?!" "W-what?!" That sets you off laughing again. "Don't just sit there laughing! Tell us!" Tatsuki demands, extremely interested.

"Well once on a school morning Ichi came to get me as usual, but my alarm hadn't gone off so I was still in bed. He kept ringing my freaking doorbell until I got up, slammed open the door, and yelled at him! In my underwear!" Tatsuki crows with laughter, Orihime joins in too. "He hid behind the door and kept yelling at me until I got dressed and kicked his head in! Then he was blushing for the rest of the day!" You laughed.

"Oh!" Gasped Tatsuki. "You mean _that _day!" You nod.

"What?" Orihime asks, looking at Tatsuki.

"Remember that one day when Ichigo was blushing throughout the entire school day? And how it got darker whenever he looked at (name)?

"Oh yes! I remember that!"

"So _that's _what happened!" Tatsuki continues. "I knew those rumors about Ichigo finally asking (name) out were wrong!" Unfortunately for you, you had chosen the wrong possible moment to take a sip of your tea. You manage to swallow it, but you hack up a storm afterwards.

"Wha" –hack—"what?" You gasp out, a dark blush on your face.

"Tatsuki-chan! We were trying to keep that a secret from them!" Orihime scolds.

"Oops, well too late now."

"What rumors?!" You were finally able to talk normally.

"There were a few rumors about you and Ichigo being, you know, _together _back then." Tatsuki explains.

"Hm, well that's embarrassing. Ugh, if Ichi ever found out about those he'd start avoiding me." '_Even more so than he already is.' _You sigh. A loud thud sounds behind you. You all freak and jump up.

"Wha?!" "What was that sound?!" All you see is an old stuffed teddy bear lying on the ground. '_What the…,' _you think as Orihime rushes to the bear. '_Do stuffed animals usually make that loud of a sound when they fall?' _You walk over to look at the bear as well.

"Oh! Enraku fell down!" Orihime says, surprised. "Are you ok, Enraku?!"

"Oh, just a stuffed animal…that scared me…." Tatsuki sighs, relieved.

"No kidding." You breathe.

"Aww! Horrible! Why is he ripped?!" Orihime asks. You and Tatsuki lean over her shoulders.

"Yikes," You say.

"Wow, maybe the fabric just wore out." Came from Tatsuki. Suddenly a chill runs down your back, making you start to shake.

"No way…" Orihime stares at the bear sadly. You eyes were locked on the rip, a pressure building in your chest. '_I'm scared. No, absolutely terrified. Why am I so afraid? _

_It's just a stuffed bear….' _You scream as something black shoots out of the ripped toy, flinging you aside into a wall. You groan, you had hit your head pretty hard.

"(name)? Orihime?! What's wrong, Orihime?! What happened?!" Aware of Tatsuki's shouts, you sit up. Orihime was on the ground and Tatsuki was freaking out. You feel the back of your head, it was damp. You pull your hand in front of your face. '_Blood….' _

"What is—" You look up, finding it hard to focus, in time to see Tatsuki slam into a wall, to the side of the wall you crashed into, with a big gash in her shoulder. A shadow passes over her and you gasp, there was a giant snake monster thing towering over her. '_Wha…is this really happening?!'_

"…Wha…what is this? Why is blood…what is going--!" Tatsuki's voice brings you out of your fear induced daze. You scan the room and see Orihime cowering against another wall. Tatsuki was now being pinned to the ground by one of the Snake Monster's hands. You force yourself to stand up, and your vision blurs. '_Damn…I think I have a concussion.' _You take a breath…and feel a crushing weight slam against your chest and push you back into the wall. You gasp, or try to…the weight pressing against your chest and stomach was making it hard to breath. You open your eyes, which you had closed due to the whole getting slammed into the wall thing. The Snake Monster's left hand was now pinning you against the wall.

"What? You thought I had forgotten about you?" Your eyes widen. The snake Monster had just _said _something! It had _talked _to you! '_What a creepy mask.' _You think, looking at him. At least you assumed it was a him from its voice. You cough, and see some blood fall onto his wrist. '_Damn…that can't be good.' _You look around for Orihime and spot her lying on the ground. '_What? Wasn't she over…,' _you glance over at the wall she had been cowering against…to find her still against it. '_What the hell? There are two Orihime's now?!' _The force against your chest increases. You feel the wall behind you give a bit. You couldn't breathe at all now. Suddenly a familiar burning fills your stomach, and spreads to the rest of your body. Then it intensifies to nearly unbearable levels. You open your mouth in a silent scream, since you didn't have the breath to actually scream. Burning agony was pulsing through your body. Gradually you feel the pain ebb. Your vision starts darkening. Dimly you hear someone screaming. '_Sounds like Orihime.' _You let your eyes close. A falling sensation overtakes you, and now you feel the cool floor under your cheek. Your body was still burning…but…it felt…distant. The voices continue. Now the monster was speaking. You couldn't make out the words…you were too tired. Suddenly a familiar voice meets your ears. '_Ichi…?' _It takes about a minute, but you manage to force your eyes open a crack. Everything was fuzzy. A blur of orange catches your attention. You focus on it. Things begin to get clearer. It _was _Ichigo, he was protecting Orihime from the Snake Monster with his big sword. '_Good. Wait…since when did Ichi have a sword? And what the hell is he wearing?' _You think, noticing the baggy black clothing. '_Meh…whatever, Ichi's here…Ichi's here….' _Unable to hold back the darkness anymore, your eyes close.


End file.
